Folding table.



J. W. BEREMAN.

FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED IAII.24. I9Ia.

lwveutoz aucun/W s SHEETS-SHEET I.

. Patented Mar. 20,

1. W. BEREMAN.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPucATloN FILED JAN.24,1916.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L W. BEREIVIAN. FOLDING TABLE. APPLICATION FILED man, 191s.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

altar/nm JOHN WORLING BEREIVIAN, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application led January 24, 1916. Serial No. 73,847.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WORLING BunnMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Leavenworth,

county of Leavenworth, State of Kansas,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive structure which may be used as a table for surgical, osteopathic, embalming and other purposes, the construction being such that when the table is not in use it may be folded into a compact condition for convenience in transportation and storage, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings-- Figure l is a side elevation of my table erected;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l looking toward the underside of the table top;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, central, longitudinal sectional view, 'the lower part or main leg upper ends by horizontal pivots (Z. leg structure thus formed, when erected,

structure being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a. transverse sectional view on the line i-4 of Fic. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the table in its folded condition; and

7 is a side elevation of the table',-

partly folded, showing the manner in which the folding operation is accomplished.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, the main leg structure i consists of four legs av fastened rigidly together in pairs by means of crossed transverse braces Z), these two pairs of legs being connected at their lower ends by upwardlybreaking jointed brace bars 0, and at tlyekilr as well as upwardly, and each is held in its adjusted position with reference to the central section to which it is connected by a spring-actuated lever i, this lever being provided with a series of notches in its under edge adapted to engage the pin j and thus lock 'the end section in its adjusted position.

The above described table top is supported on the main leg structure by a pivoted-link appliance so arranged that the table top may be raised and lowered with reference to the main leg structure. This appliance consists essentially ot 'two sets of upright links, one set being connected to each of the central sections e of the table top. Each set consists of a pair of links 7c and Z arranged at each side of the table, the upper ends of these links being pivotally connected 'to the table top section f by pivots m and n, and the shorter link 7c being connected to the link Z about midway the length of the latter by a pivot 0. The lower ends of the longer links Z at each side of the table are pivotally connected to a plate or bar p which is supported on the leg structure by a pivot q located at one end of said plate p. The pivots m and n are supported in flanges r fastened to the underside of the table sections e, said pivots m being stationary with respect to the ends ofthe table sections and the pivots n being capable of being moved toward and from the adjoining ends of the central table sections, aslot S being formed in each of the flanges 7 to permit the pivots to have this movement. The opposite links Z are connected by suitable crossed, rigid braces t. j

To raise and lower the table top bodily, it will be seen that it is 'simply necessary to close the links or to spread them. To thus actuate the links, I journal in suitable bearings on one of the end sections f of the table a differential drum a, a worm gear device t being provided for manually rotating this drum in either direction, this type of operating device being employed for theyreason that the drum will be locked in its adjusted positions without the necessity of employing a ratchet or other extraneous device. I connect the smaller diameter of the drum directly to the adjacent pivots fit by means of two cables fw, and the larger diameter of the drum is connected, by means of longer cables fr indirectly to the same pivots n by passing said cables m around pulleys y piv- 1 Il "g otally connected 4to the pivots a at the opposite sides of the center ot the table. It will be observed that with this drum and cable arrangement I may readily draw the upper ends of the links r: and l together to raise the table and also permit these links to spread 'apart for the purpose of lowering the table top. It will be observed that the ratio between the smaller diameter of the drum and tl e larger diameter thereotl will be such as to always maintain the cables in a taut condition.

In bodily raising and lowering the table top in the manner 'above described, the' plates y) are not actuated, as is obvious. To tilt the table top as a whole either forwardly or backwardly, I provide means 'For tilting the plates y) on their pivots q and locking them in their tilted or adjusted positions. A simple way of doing this is to mount on each plate y) a bar .2 and arrange this bar so that it projects toward one end ot the table, so that this bar forms in ellieet an extension oi the plate y?. T he outer ends of these bars z are pivotally connected to the upper ends of depending links af, these links being provided in one edge with a series of notches which are adapted to be engaged by suitable spring-actuated pawls D pivotally mounted on the legs a. rI`he bars a work through guides c fastened to the legs a adjacent to the pawls. These pawls normally engage the notches in the bars a and thus look the parts in their adjusted position. A suitable wire loop CZ may be provided for simultaneously pulling the pawls out ot action and holding them out while the table is being tilted.

It will be observed that one pair of the links Z is pivoted to the pivots Q which support the plates 7) and that the other pair oi links Z is pivotally connected to the plates y) by means of la pivot c which also connects the bar to said plates y), so that the tilting of the plates y) on their pivots (j serves to shift the entire structure supported on the lazy-tongs. Each oi the bars is attached to its plate 79 not only by pivot c', but also by a headed rivet f', this rivet being rigidly supported in plate p working in a slot g/ in the bar e. To further support and steady the table top, I provide two ot the opposite short links 7., with depending extensions L and pivotally support the same on the bar by pivots i', these pivots extending through the slots g of said bar so that thepvots i may slide along .said slots g while the table top is being raised or lowered through the medium of the lazy-tongs appliance.

In folding or collapsing the table, the table top is first lowered by means of the drum and cabledevices as nearly as possible to contact with the upper edges of the plate 79. Then the table is inverted and laid upon the floor top-side down, as shown in Fig. 7.

Then the link braces c are broken toward the apex of the table structure, thereby swinging one pair of legs a. toward the pair lwhich carries the guides c, as shown in Fig. 7. The notched links a are then released from the pawls b, thereby permitting both pairs of legs together with the notched links a 4to be swung downwardly toward the table top, as shown in Fig. 7. These parts are liolded down toward one half of the table top as closely as possible, and then the other half of the table is swung upwardly and over upon said 'folded parts. rlhis linal folding is permitted by reason ot the 'tact that the pivots e are permitted to shift toi'ard the pivoted ends ot' the plates y; by reason ot slots m in said plates y2. rlhis .shifting ot the pivots e permit the lazy=tongs linksto close up completely against the table top and thus permits the main leg structure to told more closely against the table top. When the haltl of the table top is lolded over upon the other halll in the manner described, the links g serve as thehinges Ytor permitting this to be done, and thepivots Q form the hinges on which the links Z swing in this final folding action.

W'hen the table is erected, the shiftable pivots e are locked in their proper positions in the slots m by means of hooks a mounted on the plates y), these hooks being loosely pivoted to the plates in such mannerV that they gravitate into locking position when the table is placed upright and gravitate out ot' locking position when the table is inverted in the act of folding the table. I provide the table sections with depending llanges 0 at their edges, so that when the table is'completely folded, as shown in Fig. G, the edges ot these flanges come together, or `appi 'ixi mately together, and form a boxlike casing, thereby substantially protecting and hiding the folding members of the table. rl`his boxlike casing may have its sections locked together by means ot a suitable pivoted' latch 2).

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In combination, a :toldable table top, a toldable leg structure, foldable raising and lowering` means mounted on the leg structure and having a pivotal and sliding con nection to the table top, these means embodying links pivoted to the leg structure,

land means mounted on the leg structure for bodily tilting the table top through the medium ot' said links, said tilting means embodying a pair of plates-pivoted at one end to the leg structure, and means for tilting the free ends of said plates and locking hem in their adjusted positions, a pair oli' said links being pivotally supported on the leg structure and the remaining links being pivotally connected to sa-id plates.

2. In combination, `a oldable table top,

a foldable leg structure, and means for bodily raising and lowering the table top as well as tilting the same forwardly or backwardly, said means embodying a plurality of pivoted links connecting the leg structure to the table top, devices for opening and closing these links, and devices mounted on the leg structure for bodily tilting said links to thereby tilt the table top, for the purpose set forth, a pair of said links being pivotally supported on the leg structure and the remaining links being pivotally connected to said plates.

3. The combination of a foldable table top, a foldablo leg structure, foldable means for raising and lowering the table top with respect to the leg structure, said means embodying pivoted supporting links, a pair of tiltable plates mounted on the leg structure, and means for tilting these plates and locking them in their adjusted position, these plates being each provided with an inclined slot in which is movably journaled the pivots of a pair of said supporting links, for the purpose set forth.

4i. The combination of a foldable table top, a foldable leg structure, foldable means for raising and lowering the table top with respect to the leg structure, said means embodying pivoted supporting links, a pair of tiltable plates mounted on the leg structure, means for tilting these plates and locking them in their adjusted positions, these plates being each provided with an inclined slot in which is movably j ournaled the pivots of a. pair of said supporting links, and a latch operating to normally lock the parts in unfolded position and to normally unlock the parts when the table is inverted in the act of folding, for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination, a foldable table top, a foldable leg structure, and means for bodily raising and lowering the table top as well as tilting the same forwardly or backwardly, said means embodying a plurality of pivoted links connecting the leg structure to the table top, devices for opening and closing these links, and devices mounted on the leg structure for bodily tilting said links to thereby tilt the table top, said devices embodying a pair of pivoted bars g pivotally mounted at one end on the leg structure and extending toward one end of the table, a pair of said links being pivotally supported on the leg structure and the remaining links being pivotally connected to said plates, and means for raising and lowering the extended ends of these bars and locking them in their adjusted positions, for the purpose set forth.

G. In combination, a foldable table top, a foldable leg structure, and means for bodily raising and lowering the table top as well as tilting the same forwardly or backwardly, said means embodying a plurality of pivoted links conne-cting the leg structure to the table top, devices for opening and closing these links, and devices mounted on the leg structure for bodily tilting said links to thereby tilt the table top, said devices embodying a pair of plates pivotally mounted at one end on the upper end of the leg structure and connected to the lower ends of said pivoted links, a pair of slotted bars connected to said plates and extending toward one end of the table, the pivots at the lower ends of a pair of the aforesaid links being supported on the leg structure and another pair being pivotally supported on said plates and the remaining pair being' slidably and pivotally connected to the slots of said bars, and means connected to the extended ends of said bars to raise and lower the same and lock them in their adjusted positions, for the purpose set forth.

7. ln a folding table, a table top provided with slotted bars on its under side, a leg structure, and means for supporting the table top on said leg structure, said means embodying supporting links pivoted together and having their lower ends pivot ally connected to the leg structure and their upper ends pivotally connected to the table top, the pivots connecting the outermost upper ends of the links to the table top being slidably mounted in the slots in the aforesaid bars, and devices on the under side of the table top for drawing said slidablymounted pivots toward each other and holding them in their adjusted relation, said devices eonsisting of a differential drum and means for rotating and locking the same, short cables connecting the smaller diameter of the drum to the nearest pair of said slidable pivots, and longer cables extending from the larger diameter of the drum to the farther pair of pivots and thence back to said nearer pair of pivots, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

JOHN WORLING BEREMAN.

Copies` of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

